American Public Opinion Polls:
Attitudes Toward Israel’s
War With Hezbollah

The following data is based on
a survey of 850 likely American voters and the margin of error is +/-
3.4 percentage points (The Israel Project August 2006)

Now, thinking about the ongoing conflict between Israel and
the Palestinians in the Middle East, please tell me whether, in general,
you consider yourself to be a strong supporter of Israel, a supporter
of Israel, a supporter of the Palestinians, or a strong supporter of
the Palestinians? (The Israel Project: Frequency Questionnaire,
August 2-3, 2006)

Total

Total Support Israel

56

Total Support Palestinians

7

Now, regardless of which side you support in
this conflict, has what you have seen, read or heard about this conflict
recently given you a more favorable or less favorable impression of
Israel? (The Israel Project: Frequency Questionnaire, August
2-3, 2006)

Total

Total More favorable

39

Total Less favorable

35

I'm going to ask you about each party and please
tell me whether they are acting properly or going too far. (The
Israel Project: Frequency Questionnaire, August 2-3, 2006)

Strongly Acting Properly

Somewhat Acting Properly

Somewhat Too Far

Strongly Going Too Far

DK/Ref

Total Acting Properly

Total Too Far

Properly - Far

Israel in dealing with Hezbollah and Lebanon

32

17

21

21

9

49

41

8

Hezbollah

2

4

16

63

15

6

79

-73

In the current conflict in the Middle East, do you think Israel
is mainly damaging military targets or is it mainly hurting the civilian
population? (The Israel Project: Frequency Questionnaire, August
2-3, 2006)

Total

Military targets

41

Civilian population

35

(Both)

12

(Don't know/refused)

13

Should Israel stop or continue its military operations against
Hezbollah and in Lebanon? (The Israel Project: Frequency Questionnaire,
August 2-3, 2006)

Total

Stop

34

Continue

59

(Don't know/refused)

8

Is Israel justified or unjustified in doing what it is doing
with Hezbollah and in Lebanon? (The Israel Project: Frequency
Questionnaire, August 2-3, 2006)

Total

Total Justified

67

Total Unjustified

21

Now I'm going to read you a pair of statements. Please tell
me whether the FIRST statement or the SECOND statement comes closer
to your own views, even if neither is exactly right. (The Israel
Project: Frequency Questionnaire, August 2-3, 2006)

Israel should continue its operation until it defeats or
greatly weakens Hezbollah in order to reduce threat to its own people.

OR

Israel should accept a cease fire in order to avoid worsening
civilian deaths and violence.

Which statement comes closer to your view?

Total

Total First statement

49

Total Second statement

48

What do you think is more responsible for instability in the
Middle East? Israel and its policies or Islamic extremism? (The Israel Project: Frequency Questionnaire, August 2-3, 2006)

Total

Israel and its policies

15

Islamic extremism

63

(Both)

7

(Neither)

5

(Don't know/refused)

10

"Do you believe that Israel's attacks on Lebanon have
been targeted to Hezbollah strongholds and strategic areas, or have
teh attack sbeen generally indiscriminate?" (Greenberg
Quinlan Rosner)

7/27/06

8/3/06

Have Been Targeted

61%

68%

Generally Indiscriminate

22%

21%

Don't Know

17%

12%

"What do you think motivates the actions of Israel in Lebanon and Gaza? Protecting itself from attack OR pursuing expansionist policies into Palestinian and Arab lands?" (Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, August 2006)

Protecting itself from attack

74%

Pursuing expansionist policies into Palestinian and Arab Lands

16%

Both/Neither

3%

Don't Know

6%

"Which countries are the main providers of support for Hezbollah's terrorist activities?" (Greenberg Quinlan Rosner)

7/16/06-7/18/06

9/6/06-9/11/06

Iran

53%

38%

Syria

32%

36%

Lebanon

12%

13%

Iraq

9%

4%

Saudi Arabia

5%

3%

Palestine

1%

2%

Don't Know

38%

46%

"I'm going to ask you about each group and please tell me whether they are acting properly or going too far. 'Israel in dealing with Hezbollah and Lebanon". (Approximate dates. Greenberg Quinlan Rosner)

Believe that only a small minority of Israeli Arabs supported
the Hezbollah leader

21%

Would be unwilling to rent an apartment to Arabs

35%

Said it would bother them if one of their neighbors rented their
apartment to an Arab

56%

Said they would be unbothered by such a scenario

42%

If the ceasfire does not hold, who will be most at fault? (Greenberg
Quinlan Rosner, September 2006)

Hezbollah

34%

The United Nations

17%

Lebanon

10%

Israel

9%

Europe

1%

Don't Know

24%

Was Israel justified in invading
Lebanon in the wake of the kidnapping of
two of its soldiers by Hezbollah?* (UPI/Zogby
International, December 4-6, 2006)

Israel was justified

57.6%

Israel was not justified

31.1%

*Not the exact question wording

Do you think the United States should
play a major role or a minor role in
the development of a peace agreement? (Gallup,
August 18-20, 2006)

U.S. should play major
role

21%

U.S. should play minor
role

35%

What role do you think the U.S. should
play in developing a peace agreement between
Israel and Hezbollah? Do you think the
U.S. should -- take the leading role, let
the United Nations take the leading role
but still be involved, or not get involved
at all? (Gallup,
August 18-20, 2006)

United States should
take leading role

14%

United Nations take
leading role, but U.S. still involved

56%

United States should
not get involved at all

29%

No opinion

2%

As a result of the recent developments
in the Middle East related to the fighting
between Israel and Hezbollah, do you
think -- [RANDOM ORDER] -- has improved
or gotten worse? (Gallup, August 18-20, 2006)

Improved

Gotten worse

No Difference

No opinion

The power of the Hezbollah
group in Lebanon

35%

44%

3%

17%

The security of Israel

31%

52%

7%

10%

The image of the United
States in the Middle East

17%

70%

8%

5%

The prospect for long-term
peace in the Middle East

16%

71%

8%

5%

Do you think the recent ceasefire
between Israel and Hezbollah in the Middle
East -- [ROTATED: marks the beginning
of a long-lasting peace between Israel
and Hezbollah, (or) will only be temporary
and fighting will soon break out again
between Israel and Hezbollah]? (Gallup, August 18-20, 2006)

Beginning of long-lasting
peace

6%

Only temporary

91%

No opinion

3%

How much do you blame each of the following for the fighting and killing that has taken place in Israel and Lebanon? (Harris Interactive, August 8-17, 2006)

Great Deal

A Lot

Some

None

Hezbollah

58%

23%

17%

3%

Lebanese government

23%

32%

38%

7%

Israeli government

22%

26%

38%

14%

Do you think Israel's military reaction
to the situation in the Middle East has gone
too far,
not gone far enough, or been about right? (CNN
August 2-3, 2006)

Too far

32%

Not far enough

18%

About right

41%

No opinion

8%

Which of the following statements comes
closer to your view of what Israel should
do: (CNN
August 2-3, 2006)

Israel should continue
taking military action
until Hezbollah can no longer launch
attacks
against Israel

46%

Israel should agree
to a cease-fire as soon
as possible

44%

No opinion

10%

Do you consider __ an ally of the United
States, friendly but not an ally, unfriendly
towards the U.S., or an enemy of the United
States? (CNN August 2-3, 2006)

Israel

Lebanon

Hezbollah

Ally

49%

9%

3%

Friendly, but not an
ally

33%

37

14%

Unfriendly

6%

27%

22%

Enemy

4%

15%

47%

No opinion

7%

11%

14%

Do you think the United States is doing:
too much, about the right amount, or not
enough to resolve this conflict? (Gallup
Poll, July 28-30, 2006)

Too much

19%

About the right amount

43%

Not enough

32%

No opinion

7%

Which of the following positions should the U.S. take in the current
conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon? (Gallup
Poll, July 28-30, 2006)

Immediate Ceasefire

32%

Allow the conflict to go a while longer

20%

Not Involved at any point

43%

No opinion

5%

How much attention are Americans paying to the violence in the Middle
East? (Gallup Poll)

July 21-23, 2006

July 28-30, 2006

Very/Somewhat Closely

71%

67%

Not too/Not at all closely

28%

33%

What is your perception of Israel’s current military
action in Lebanon? (Gallup Poll)

July 21-23, 2006

July 28-30, 2006

Justified in all military action taken

33%

37%

Justified, but gone too far

50%

44%

Not justified in any military action taken

7%

10%

No opinion

9%

9%

In the current conflict, do you think the United States should take
Israel’s side, take the side of Hezbollah, or not take either
side? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Gallup 7/21-23/06

CNN 8/2-3/06*

Israel’s side

31%

68%

Hezbollah's side

<0.5%

6%

Both

3%

Neither side

65%

11%

No opinion

4%

11%

*CNN Based on what you have read or heard
about the conflict in the Middle East, are
your sympathies MORE with Israel or MORE
with Hezbollah?

How much do you blame _____ for the current attacks in Israel and
Lebanon? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Hezbollah

53%

Iran

39%

Syria

29%

Lebanon

27%

Israel

15%

Degree of blame for current attacks in Israel and Lebanon? (Gallup
Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Great Deal/Moderate
Amount

Not very much/Not
at all

Hezbollah

76%

12%

Iran

70%

19%

Syria

65%

19%

Lebanon

65%

24%

Israel

45%

44%

Do you approve or disapprove of Israel’s actions in this conflict? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Approve

50%

Disapprove

38%

No opinion

12%

Do you approve or disapprove of Hezbollah’s actions in this
conflict? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Approve

11%

Disapprove

76%

No opinion

13%

How strongly do you feel about your approval or disapproval of Israel
and Hezbollah? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Israel

Hezbollah

Approve strongly

28%

3%

Approve not strongly

22%

8%

Disapprove not strongly

23%

24%

Disapprove strongly

15%

52%

Do you support or oppose a possible invasion of southern Lebanon
by Israeli ground troops? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Support

40%

Oppose

47%

No opinion

13%

Concern about Events Occurring as a Result of the Current Fighting
Between Israel and Hezbollah? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Very concerned

Very/Somewhat concerned

United States' military will be drawn into the
conflict

49%

76%

Increase the likelihood of terrorism against the
United States

44%

75%

Broader war including Syria, Iran, or both countries

42%

79%

Broader war in the Middle East, involving all/most
Arab countries in region

41%

79%

Develop into World War III

34%

61%

Result in a nuclear attack somewhere in the Middle
East

33%

64%

How important is the development of a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli
situation? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Very Important

50%

Somewhat Important

35%

Not Important

15%

Do you approve or disapprove with the way President George W. Bush
is handling the situation in the Middle East? (Gallup Poll, July
21-23, 2006)

Approve

37%

Disapprove

56%

No opinion

7%

Do you believe the Bush administration has a clear and well-thought
out policy on the Middle East? (Gallup Poll, July 21-23, 2006)

Yes

27%

No

67%

No opinion

6%

Should the United States play an active role in attempting to solve
the Middle East Crisis between Israel and Hezbollah? (Opinion Research
Corp., July 19, 2006)

Yes

65%

No or No opinion

35%

Do you support or oppose the presence of U.S. ground troops as part
of an international peacekeeping force on the border between Israel
and Lebanon? (Opinion Research Corp., July 19, 2006)

Opinion
Research Corp 7/19/06

CNN
8/2-3/06*

Support/Favor

45%

51%

Oppose

42%

45%

No opinion

13%

4%

*CNN: Would you favor or oppose the presence
of U.S. ground troops, along with troops
from other countries, in an international
peacekeeping force on the border between
Israel and Lebanon?

Do you approve or disapprove of the way in which President Bush
has handled the conflict? (Opinion Research Corp., July 19, 2006)

Opinion Research Corp
7/19/06

CNN
8/2-3/06*

Approve

38%

43%

Disapprove

45%

46%

Unsure

17%

10%

*CNN: Do you approve or disapprove of the
way George W. Bush is handling: :The conflict
between Israel and
Hezbollah in the Middle East

In the conflict, are your sympathies more for Israel or Hezbollah? (Opinion Research Corp., July 19, 2006)

Israel

57%

Hezbollah

4%

Neither

20%

Both

4%

No opinion

15%

What is your opinion regarding Israel’s military reaction
to the situation? (Opinion Research Corp., July 19, 2006)

About Right

35%

Too Far

31%

Too Restrained

14%

Unsure

20%

Do you believe a cease-fire should be negotiated? (Opinion Research
Corp., July 19, 2006)

Israel should agree to a cease-fire as soon as
possible

43%

Israel should continue its military action until
Hezbollah can no longer launch attacks

39%

No opinion

18%

Are you more worried that the conflict will lead to violence and
possibly a terrorist attack in the United States? (Opinion Research
Corp., July 19, 2006)

Yes

51%

No

35%

No opinion

14%

Do you believe the United States has done a good or poor job evacuating
its citizens from Lebanon? (Opinion Research Corp., July 19, 2006)